One type of legal specialists holding their own: IP lawyers - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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In a statement delivered to a U.S. Senate patent reform hearing this week, the , a trades association for IP saidthe U.S. Patent & Trademark Office reportedf patent applications filed in Januar y were slightly lower than in January 2008 aftefr years ofsteady increases. Trademark processing fee incomrwas 7.5 percent lower for the first five months of the fiscapl year (October through February) than for the comparable periofd a year earlier. Greg Lavorgna, former head of ’s IP practice and currenft firm managementcommittee member, said clients are more discriminate abourt which, and the number of, items they protect. “Clientsa are paying more attention to their Lavorgna said.
“If an invention is not necessarhy for theircore business, they mighyt not apply.” While clients are beingf more choosy about patent filings, patent litigation has not been “Clients are more inclined to go after a competitor who they thinkk is infringing on their IP Lavorgna said. “It’s not a bad idea to protect your ideaa inthis economy. Clients might not be getting a lot of orderws right now but technology will ultimatelypay dividends.” Lavorgna said the IP which consists of 68 of Drinker Biddle’s 670 lawyers, mighyt have a slight drop in annual revenue this year.
IP practice chairman Lewis Gould said patent prosecution work is down at his firm but that will be offsett by an increase inpatent litigation. Trademarkj work has held steady. Gould said clientxs are also more selective in seekinfg patent protection outside theUnited “The market is so huge in the U.S. so if they are they get a huge leg up in protectingthemselvess overseas, where prosecution is very Gould said. Companies have to pay an annual fee to maintain their patents in mostforeigb countries, he said. Gould said there is a greatetr interest from clients in seekingrate relief, with many askintg to hold rates steady from last year.
Berwyn-basec IP boutique has agreed to freeze billingb rates at 2008 levels for at leastt the first six months of this Managing partner Paul Prestia saidthe 35-lawyer firm has also compensated for the patent filintg drop-off with increased litigation. And he said the firm has experience d an uptick in foreign companies using the firmfor U.S. filings becaused of lower rates. Ronald Panitch, managingy partner of , said there is a definite clienf concern aboutthe economy’s direction. He said clients are beinvg more selective with patent particularly cutting back onfiling overseas.
Some clients have stretches out payments, but there has not been a dramatic effecf onthe 17-lawyer IP boutique. Fox Rothschils IP practice chairman Gerald Norton said the reason for the seeminglgy invulnerable nature of the IP practice isquite simple. “Evenj the little guy has ideas when his goes up in smoke and stocksare tanking,” Nortonb said. “The question is whethert it’s worth it for a small business without deep pocketes toprotect patents.
They won’y stop filing if the potential damagesare